This section is intended to provide background information to facilitate a better understanding of various technologies described herein. As the section's title implies, this is a discussion of related art. That such art is related in no way implies that it is prior art. The related art may or may not be prior art. It should therefore be understood that the statements in this section are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Seismic surveying generally includes the process of recording reflected seismic waves from beneath the subsurface in order to model geological structures and physical properties of the earth. For instance, the aim of a seismic survey may be to depict the physical properties of a reservoir. However, a secondary process may be used in conjunction with modeling where we validate the same models that seismology tries to create. By synthesizing seismic data from seismic or geological models, recorded seismic survey data can be compared to this synthetic seismic data. Doing so allows geophysicists to verify the accuracy of subsurface models as well as fine tune actual surveys.
In addition to seismic models, another type of modeling involves using geological data to construct a geological model of the earth's subsurface. Both seismic and geological models describe similar structures within the earth, but each are constructed using data from different sources with different strengths and limitations. While seismic data may include amplitude traces recorded at hydrophones and geophones, geological models often use lithological or rock data as the basis for constructing features in the subsurface. The actual recorded geological data can then be used to extrapolate and interpolate physical regions throughout the subsurface. However, as is the case with seismic models, geological models need to be validated for accuracy as well. If the synthetic or interpolated data is wrong or inaccurate, the model loses much of its value.